Wuthering Heights

 
From the conflict of the Civil War to a dark manor on the moors of Yorkshire we go, on our last literary adventure of 2012!  Wuthering Heights is the only novel of Emily Bronte, and is considered a classic of English literature.  Emily is the sister of Charlotte Bronte, who wrote the companion classic Jane Eyre.

So famous is this book that it spawned plays, operas, movies and even music videos!  It's so beloved by readers of the English language that Google provides a special map of the locations in Leeds, England, that have been matched to the book.
 
Go here to get a free copy via Kindle app at Amazon, or download it here as an ebook from Project Gutenberg.

Oh, and that music video...  It was done in 1978 by Kate Bush, an English pop star.  Even if the creepy moors of England do not frighten you, if visions of ghosts stalking you through ancient halls do not chill your heart, this will do the trick.  Here is perhaps the craziest music video based on a book ever made.   Brace yourself!

Warning:  Cartwheels ahead.  Proceed with caution.


We'll see you in December for our Christmas party!

Rifles for Watie

We hope you are enjoying this tale of civil war adventure from the prospective of a young Kansas teenager, Jefferson Davis Bussey, who enters the fight with high ideals, and comes to know the real meaning of danger, adventure, self-sacrifice, and love.  

The book was written by Harold Keith (1903-1998), a lifelong resident of Oklahoma, and is based on the real movements, politics, and conditions of the civil war.  Keith won the Newberry Award for the book in 1958.  Most of his books are set in his beloved Oklahoma, and Rifles for Watie is his most famous.  It was based on his Master's Thesis in history.

How close is the book to capturing actual history?  There are two characters in the book who were real men in the civil war. Stand Watie was the last Confederate general to surrender at war's end, and James G. Blunt was a real general who struggled to control Indian Territory.

Stand Watie after the Civil War

Brig. Gen. James Blunt in 1862.

These two men are fascinating to read about.  Clink on the links above to read more.  We'll see you at the next SNACKS meeting!  Also, if someone could tell us all why Blunt has his hand in his shirt we would really appreciate it. What's up with doing that?  ;-)