My $12 worth of books

I was lucky enough to attend a library sale a couple of days ago (thank Erin!). Books were $6 a bag (savvy bookworms brought large cloth shopping bags, and carefully packed as many books into each bag as possible). Childrens' books were free. I went armed with about 10 bags (just in case), and enough cash to fill them all (just in case). After spending the whole morning rummaging, I came tottering out of the building, carrying two VERY heavy bags crammed with books - together with a smaller third bag and my hand bag. I didn't know I possessed such strength! My biceps are still sore now. For the sake of books, even the weakest bibliophile finds strength and determination they didn't know was in them. I suppose I could have just been sensible and carried them out to the car one bag at a time. . . hmmm. . . yes. Too late now.

Moving on: it is time to show off my spoils! As I mentioned, I bought just the two bags of books, plus a third bag of free children's books, bringing my total expenditure to $12.

The big hardcover books: The Complete Phantom of the Opera, Myths and Legends of Ireland, A History of Movie Musicals, The World of Rubens, and Alpine Interiors.

The Dickensian books - a biography, Bleak House, and Our Mutual Friend. I already had a couple of copies of OMF, but I bought the extra copy for sentimental reasons as much as anything - it is the exact same copy that I borrowed from the library when I read OMF for the very first time. Besides, it's nice to have multiple copies of favourite classics. Also, I like the cover (which you can't see very well, I snapped these pictures late this afternoon when the light wasn't good), of Keeley Hawes in the 1998 adaptation.

The L.M. Montgomery books. A beautiful, hardcover, illustrated copy of Anne of Green Gables, and an as-new hardcover copy of Anne of Avonlea.

The James Herriot books: James Herriot's Yorkshire, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, and The Best of James Herriot.

The poetry books: Seven Centuries of Poetry in English, Romantic Period Verse, and Selected Poems by T.S. Eliot.

Miscellaneous children's books, including a copy of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

A couple of classics and a couple of children's books. Treasures of Snow, a book from the Chronicles of Prydain series (I still haven't read the first book in the series, but never mind. . .), Romeo and Juliet, and Animal Farm.

Miscellaneous others. The Book of Buildings: A Travellor's Guide, a biography of Frances Hodgson Burnett, Classic Knitted Cotton Edgings, a Francine Rivers book, and The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames - useful for researching one's family history, and for looking up the names of one's celebrity crushes and favourite fictional characters in order to research their family history. Not that I would ever do such a silly thing as that.

I also bought another 10 or so titles, mostly children's picture books - including a couple of Beatrix Potter volumes.

I exercised great self-restraint and didn't buy any National Geographics, much to my mother's relief. I was a little disappointed that there weren't more good books on offer - for every decent book, there seemed to be about 100 Jackie Collins or Dan Brown books. Still, that made finding the few gems even more exciting and worthwhile.

If you're still reading - thank you! Most of my family members, not being book-lovers, were not at all interested in my haul, so it's nice to share my excitement with others who are likely to sympathise with my delight in the treasures I found! :-)

Top Costume Drama Heroes: Part II

Right! Since writing this post ages ago (was it really only last year?), I have seen various new (for me) period films, and discovered many wonderful new heroes. Plus, there are several heroes who didn't make it into my original Top 10, but who deserve to be recognised!

So, without further ado. . . 

Top Costume Drama Heroes ~ Part the Second

(And I think there may even have to be a "Part the Third" sometime, too ;-)

The Scarlet Pimpernel aka Lord Percy (Anthony Andrews - The Scarlet Pimpernel 1982) is sitting pretty with Henry Tilney at the top of my list of all-time favourite heroes! Lord Percy is awesome beyond awesomeness; his awesomeness defies description. (Yes that sentence is cringeworthy - forgive me, I'm an SP fangirl.) The ultimate superhero - the original "superhero" in fact - and the ultimate romantic hero. And guys, I still haven't gotten round to reading the books or watching the 1999 series, but I'm convinced Anthony Andrews (of SP 1982) will forever be the Scarlet Pimpernel, as far as I'm concerned.

Arthur Clennam (Matthew Macfadyen - Little Dorrit 2008) is a different kind of Dickensian hero. Many of Dickens' best-known heroes (think David Copperfield, Pip) tend to be young, earnest, and idealistic. Arthur is considerably older - approaching 40 - and has experienced great sadness and rejection. He has had almost no joy or light in his life. But in spite of all this, he remains tenderhearted and compassionate, rather than growing embittered with life and with others. A gem of a hero. 

Westley aka The Man in Black aka The Dread Pirate Roberts (Cary Elwes - The Princess Bride). Westley rivals Errol Flynn's Robin Hood and Anthony Andrews' Lord Percy for pure swashbuckling awesomeness. Westley epitomises courage and heroism. 'Nuff said.

Eugene Wrayburn (Paul McGann - Our Mutual Friend 1998). Eugene, Eugene! Not really a hero - more of an anti-hero. A troubled soul who comes good in the end. For the first 20-odd years of his life, Eugene is aimless, lazy, purposeless - until love jolts him out of his apathy. I'd always had a great deal of sympathy for Eugene, but I had never thought of him as being a truly - well, deserving hero. *SPOILER WARNING* I mean, his intentions towards Lizzie were undecided and potentially less than honourable. If he hadn't been bashed almost to death by Headstone, his relationship with Lizzie would probably have ended in shame and heartbreak. Well, I put all this to my blogging friend Lizzy, and her response was an interesting one! (See the comments section in linked post.) In the end - Eugene didn't deserve Lizzie's love, and he did not deserve to live happily ever after with her - but he did. He was undeserving, but he was redeemed by unconditional, selfless love. Sound familiar? :-) 

John Harmon's (Stephen Mackintosh - Our Mutual Friend 1998) and Bella Wilfer's romance is perhaps a little more conventional and predictable than Eugene and Lizzie's, but it is none the less beautiful. John Harmon is a wonderful hero - strong, patient, good-hearted, yet also with a vulnerable side that endears him to the reader/viewer. Stephen Mackintosh gave an excellent perfomance as John in OMF 1998.

Faramir! (David Wenham - The Two Towers/The Return of the King) I disclosed in my earlier post that I've always had a soft spot for Boromir - essentially the "tragic hero" of The Lord of the Rings (the fact that he was played in the films by the amazing Sean Bean doesn't hurt, either ;-). But Faramir certainly doesn't suffer by comparison with Boromir - in fact,  Faramir is arguably the more truly heroic of the two characters. Boromir is a great warrior and leader - strong, courageous, charismatic. Faramir is at heart a man of peace, not of war - though he still has courage and valour in bucketloads! And ultimately, he showed more true strength of character than his brother. Faramir's and Eowyn's romance is possibly one of my favourite love stories in literature. 

Mr. Knightley (Mark Strong - Emma 1996). Mr. Knightley (it is impossible to call him anything else; "George" doesn't sound right, and one daren't call him "Knightley" for fear of being thought an upstart, vulgar being) has legions of female admirers - indeed, he is probably Fitzwilliam Darcy's closest rival in the Most Universally Adored Jane Austen Hero stakes, and deservedly so. He is the nicest, kindest, most honourable. . . in fact, he's almost Mary Poppins-ian - er, practically perfect in every way. (Actually, I'm curious - can anyone think of any fault in Mr. Knightley's character?! If you can, please leave a comment!) I loved both both Jeremy's Northam's and Mark Strong's Mr. Knightleys. Jonny Lee Miller. . . hmm. . . yeah. . . maybe he'll grow on me. I still haven't re-watched Emma '09, so we'll see.

John Ridd (Richard Coyle - Lorna Doone 2000). Gentle giant, and hero of R.D. Blackmore's epic Lorna Doone. Contrary to its title, Lorna Doone is really John Ridd's story - it's almost a coming-of-age tale, really. Richard Coyle's John differs considerably from the book's John - he is physically smaller (in the book he's a giant of a man, and a champion wrestler), and mentally quicker. However, he still captures the basic essence of John Ridd's character - a genuinely good, decent, big-hearted man.

Gabriel Oak (Nathaniel Parker - Far From the Madding Crowd 1998). Gabriel must surely win the prize for being the most patient, long-suffering hero in literature! He is infinitely kind and good; the only stupid thing he does in the entire story is fall in love with Bathsheba. Why, why, why?! Oh well. . . if Bathsheba Everdean is one of the silliest, most frustrating "heroines" in English literature, Gabriel has got to be one of the nicest, most amazing heroes. He also has the decided advantage of being in one of the very few Thomas Hardy novels that actually has a happy ending! So he gets the girl in the end - without either of them dying or committing murder or suicide or anything like that. I found Far From the Madding Crowd 1998 a frustrating story at times (if there's one famous 19th author I don't like, it's Thomas Hardy), but Gabriel makes it all worthwhile. And Nathaniel Parker. . . wow! :-D

James Percy (Thomas Gibson - The Inheritance) Once again, the film and the book incarnations of this character are somewhat different. Thomas Gibson's James Percy in the 1997 TV movie is a dashing, handsome, lively young (well, young-ish) man. James Percy in the book (actually, he's referred to as Lord Percy - Louisa May Alcott's book, written when she was seventeen, is set in England at some indefinite period in the 18th or early 19th century) is "old" (35 or so), quiet, and plain. If anything, I think I prefer the book's version - he's such a lovely, Colonel Brandon-ish sort of character.

~o0o~

Whew! And that rounds out the sequel to my Top 10 Heroes post! This has been a fun post to write. . . I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! 

Please share your thoughts on any or all of these characters in the comments section! Or tell me who some of your favourite costume drama heroes are, and why.