I feel compelled to put in a good word for mothers who are struggling to do a difficult job under trying circumstances, often berating themselves mercilessly that they aren't capable of fulfilling a June Cleaver fantasy. I personally know a number of working mothers who get up in the morning, supervise their children getting ready for school while getting themselves ready as well. Some cook a breakfast, some have their children get their own breakfast, while some hand their children some kind of food-like breakfast product, heavily advertised and what the children have been brainwashed into preferring. They then drive their children to school (or day care if the children are too young for school), then go to work. If they are not single mothers, usually the father picks them up after school/day care. This chore is frequently shared. In any case, whether they pick up the children themselves or a partner does it, the mothers come home to supervise dinner and homework then fall exhausted into bed that night. In my high-pressure, high-expectation part of the country, weekends are dominated by extras for the children - language school, sports, music or dance lessons, or extra tutoring, along with what ever social life the children or parents may have. Most mothers whom I know work full time, many in demanding professional careers, and most of them also take their role as mothers very seriously. They are often simply exhausted. I am sure that there are indeed any number of lazy mothers who neglect their children's well-being, but honestly I think most mothers do the very best they can, often under trying circumstances. Rosefolly

Dusting all my books? Perish the thought.... I'm another one who loves to re-read old favorites. I still want to re-read "Little Women" which was my childhood favorite. Also classics such as "Madame Bovary". As some of you know, I went through a major book purge when I relocated and downsized 2 and a half years ago. But I kept 5 bookcases! Now, from what I find at rummage sales and from what new friends keep giving me, I find my collection is growing once again! I guess I am just a book collector, at heart. And having worked in libraries most of my life, I am used to seeing myself in rooms surrounded by books. My New Year's resolution is to be more selective regarding the time I spend posting on these forums. I plan to stick with RP, but have been spending far too much time on another garden web forum.

Woodnymph, re Middlemarch: She [your friend] claims it is the greatest classic in the English language, and an early feminist work. Do you agree with my friend about "Middlemarch"? Your friend agrees with Virginia Woolf who famously said of George Eliot's magnum opus that it is "one of the few English books written for grown-up people." AS Byatt, another writer who admires Eliot, says "it's one of the greatest novels of all." It has undoubtedly been interpreted as an early feminist work -- at least it was later adopted by feminists who have chosen to see the feminist angle as Eliot's main intent. I don't necessarily agree with your friend or Woolf or Byatt or the legions of readers who subscribe to the feminist interpretation. While it seems to be true that Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) chafed under the strictures on women during the Victorian era, there is also good evidence that her political and religious stances were just as important to her in her writing. Mary, I've had problems with everything I've tried to read by Eliot. Her style is didactic. She also tended to get preachy, although she eventually disavowed formal religion. Many readers during the nineteenth century had a higher tolerance for slow development of story/plot, minutiae, and flowery phrasing than many readers have today -- I'm one of them. To me Middlemarch is a slow soap opera. Another problem I have with Eliot's style is it ignores the writing dictum of "show, don't tell." For instance, Eliot tells her readers (in third person) that her character Dorothea Brooke is a paragon -- over and over she reminds us readers, lest we forget -- but I don't think she shows us very often how or why Dorothea is an exemplar. Eliot makes similar pronouncements about many of her other characters. Middlemarch is long and it has so many characters that I have a hard time remembering most of them. I suppose it might be a worthy book to study -- taking notes, drawing up lineage charts, putting certain aspects of the development of 19th century British politics, cultural mores, and the Industrial Revolution in rough chronology. I didn't find, however, that Eliot's style (by itself) made these things clear enough. It didn't entertain me enough to help me find those subjects memorable, either. Of course, it's a matter of an individual reader's taste and mood. I don't particularly want to be told that a work is classic, when I want to make up my own mind about it.

The Mill on the Floss. It SHOULD be right up my alley, apparently, being in that Victorian era that I seem to devour. However, after a few failed attempts (both the book's fault and mine), I've created some sort of mental block that seems to prohibit me from even picking it up. Maybe 2022 is the year that I gather the strength for another valiant attempt. If 2021 didn't "do me in", Mill on the Floss certainly shouldn't be a challenge, right? Carolyn. Rosefolly, Sheri, I was just gifted the first three Wheel of Time novels. I was slightly stressed about having to read and share my opinion and now I am positively dreading it. Whenever anyone gives me a book, I feel like I have to report back on whether or not I liked it. And there are FOURTEEN??? Seriously? I was dreading three... Fantasy is NOT my genre. Did anyone read them and enjoy them? As for Moby Dick, I had to read it for a philosophy class for my master's. And the best part of having read Moby Dick means I never have to read it again. Tough slogging... Call me Scrooge, but my decorations are already down. I am all about the anticipation of the Christmas holiday. But once it's done, my decorations just look tired to me. I wish I was one of those people who could enjoy them longer. PAM