I’m currently enjoying reading the book Can Jane Eyre Be Happy? More Puzzles in Classic Fiction by John Sutherland which tries to answer some of the great puzzles in literary history, including:
How vulgar is Mrs. Elton? (Jane Austen’s Emma)
Why is Fagin hanged and why isn’t Pip prosecuted? (Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and Great Expectations)
How many pianos has Amelia Sedley? (W. M. Thackeray’s Vanity Fair)
I must admit that it had never occurred to me to question most of the “puzzles”, but it’s very entertaining to read the “clues” that Sutherland has found in the texts to explain these conundrums. There are more books in the series, including Is Heathcliff a Murderer? and Who Betrays Elizabeth Bennett? The books read like the National Enquirer for English majors!
I’ve also been listening to the audio book of Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal. What can you say about Terry Pratchett’s novels other than that they are outrageous fun! In this one, Moist Von Lipvig has been plucked from the jaws of death to serve as the postmaster for Ankh-Morpork. He is assisted and sometimes thwarted by an assortment of odd characters, including golems, werewolves and banshees. I’m glad there are numerous novels in his Discworld series, because I think I’m going to be busy for a while!
