Tales From The BookCase: First Wednesday of September and...

To date, I've read just over 90 pages of L.M. Alcott's Little Men and loving every word of it. The only trouble with the book is that I find myself repeatedly and totally lost in reveries about having children and sitting on the side of hills in a fancy frock watching them play with their father - who incidentally is looking more and more like Prof. Bhaer as the day dreams roll on- while I write beautiful words down on parchment. I hope to get my head out of the clouds soon enough to start reading seriously but it is so easy to get lost in the lovely pages of prose. Take a look at the wording of this quick and simple opening passage for instance:

"When Nat went into school on Monday morning, he quaked inwardly, for now he thought he should have to display his ignorance before them all. But Mr. Bhaer gave him a seat in the deep window, where he could turn his back to the others, and Franz heard him say his lessons there, so not one could hear his blunders... He was truly grateful for this, and toiled away so diligently. Thinking that a lesson in learning to help one another was better than arithmetic just then, Mr. Bhaer, told them about Nat, making such an interesting and touching little story out of it that the good-heartened lads all promised to lend him a hand, and felt quite honoured to be called upon to impart their stores of wisdom to the chap who fiddled so capitally." (Alcott 44-45)

I mean, isn't that just lovely? And its just a description about a boys insecurities about learning and gaining the assistance of his teacher and fellow classmates. It's not an epic moment in the novel, or in any ways in competition with something by Chaucer but it's a sight prettier than you're average scribbling... if you know what I mean.

Well, I hope to be as enchanting an author some day.. perhaps the ghost of L.M.Alcott will visit me in one of my daydreams and inspire me to literary greatness!

Check out the copy that I'm reading from... cute right?