Ding Dong Merrily on High

[lunabee34]

1. Oh, it's like a million pounds off my chest. So earlier this semester, shortly after my Aunt Gail died of ovarian cancer, Dylan started experiencing abdominal pain and some other symptoms. They went to the urgent care, and y'all, I know our health care is totally fucked, but sometimes there are good people operating within it. The doctor did an ultrasound FOR FUCKING FREE! and saw that they had an ovarian cyst. The doc said they were pretty positive it was a cyst but that Dylan needed to follow up with their OBGYN to be sure. We did that today. We have to wait for the confirmation from whoever's going to read the ultrasound, but the tech said the cyst is gone. Hurray!

2. I got packages of wonderful gifts from executrix and sheafrotherdon. Thank you so much!!

3. I introduced Dylan to the first Die Hard movie and they didn't hate it. We're going to watch the fourth one at some point before they go back to school.

4.

The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Unlike McTeague, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It follows a nouveau riche family as they navigate the upper-crust of Boston society.

This is a Norton critical edition, so it includes ancillary material at the back--contemporaneous reviews, letters to and from Howells, literary criticism. What amuses me about the contemporaneous reviews is the broad range of responses to the novel, especially the pearl clutching that runs the gamut from dismissing Howells as a Jane Austenesque writer of comedies of manners to the most odious picture of human nature with no redeeming qualities (these cannot be simultaneously true). A few of these reviews compare realism to photography, suggesting that it can't be art because it hasn't been molded into something edifying.

All the ancillary material is written by men except one contemporaneous review. Boo!



View all my reviews

I find the 19th century discussion of photography and whether it's actually art to be fascinating. Ouida was of the firm opinion that it is not art, and she was highly critical of photography, seeing it as a kind of lie. She also was very upset with the way that photography changed expectations for privacy and ownership of a person's image. She wrote an entire short story centered around the misuse of a photograph.

Comments

[kass]

I'm so glad the cyst is gone and it wasn't anything more serious than that.

[lunabee34]

Me too. So grateful.

[starandrea]

the tech said the cyst is gone

Whew, yay, and all good thoughts to both of you ♥ So glad.

[lunabee34]

Thank you! I'm so grateful.

[goss]

Oh thank goodness about Dylan! *hugs*

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

I'm so grateful.

[musesfool]

I'm so glad the news was good!

[lunabee34]

Me too! So relieved.

[corvidology]

Dylan! \o/

[lunabee34]

I'm so relieved!!

[amejisuto]

I'm so glad Dylan is okay! What a wonderful holiday gift! And yay for Die Hard! I liked that movie. Maybe I'll watch it tomorrow.

[lunabee34]

Me, too. I'm so grateful.

Die Hard is such a great movie. It's a classic for a reason.

[independence1776]

So glad Dylan is okay!

[lunabee34]

Thank you! Me, too. I'm very grateful.

[princessofgeeks]

So very happy for Dylan.

[lunabee34]

Me, too. I'm very grateful.

[thistleingrey]

1. Glad Dylan had good care!

[lunabee34]

Me too! So grateful for that doc and that they're okay.

[chanter1944]

Yay! for excellent, compassionate people. And cyst be gone, never to return!

[lunabee34]

From your lips!

Thank you. <3 <3

So grateful for that doc's kindness.

[timespirt]

I'm so glad the cyst is gone.

"HUGS"

[lunabee34]

Thank you. Me too. I'm so glad.

[lyr]

I'm so glad to hear Dylan is okay!

[lunabee34]

Thank you! I'm so grateful.

[torachan]

Yay for good news!

[lunabee34]

I'm so happy and grateful.

[archersangel]

about #1, good news!

[lunabee34]

I'm so happy and grateful.

[sallymn]

Oh I am so glad for you and Dylan!!

That book sounds like my sort of thing :)

[lunabee34]

I'm so happy and grateful.

It's a good book; it's 19th century American realism/naturalism, and it's very interesting.

[lokifan]

OMG, what great news about Dylan! Such a relief.

All the ancillary material is written by men except one contemporaneous review. Boo!

BOOOOOOO.

I didn't know that discussion of photography happened, but it makes sense. Very interesting!

[lunabee34]

I am so grateful and happy.

Yeah, I refuse to believe that no women had written anything about Howells at all, especially since at least one was cited in several articles.

Yeah, the photography discussion thing is interesting. Part of Ouida's distaste for it is that it's like copying something that already exists. You're making anything new, not making art out of the raw materials of life.

[author_by_night]

So glad the cyst is gone. *Hugs*

[lunabee34]

Me too. I'm so so grateful. *hugs*

[sheafrotherdon]

Hooray for Dylan!!

[lunabee34]

I'm so happy and grateful!

[umadoshi]

but the tech said the cyst is gone. Hurray!

Such good news!

[lunabee34]

I'm so relieved and grateful.

[spikedluv]

That's wonderful news! *hugs*

They . . . hadn't seen the first Die Hard movie before? I don't know why, but that is boggling my mind. Yes, definitely the fourth! *g*

[lunabee34]

I'm so relieved and grateful.

No, they'd never seen it before. They're not super into action movies. Or hot guys. LOL

[annofowlshire]

Hurray for some good news!

[lunabee34]

I am so relieved and happy.

[minoanmiss]

Hooray for the vanishment of the cyst!

[lunabee34]

I am so grateful.

[scintilla10]

Hurray for the good news! <3

[lunabee34]

Thank you!