My First Critique Group Experience

Since I've decided to bring my writing out of the closet and get serious at the age of 36 years old, I took a leap and have joined a critique group with people I barely know.  Not that I don't want to know them; I just haven't had the chance.  Sure, I've written in college and was critiqued by my professors and/or possibly group project members.  But, please keep in mind, my degree is in Economics.  And, I've written for my high school yearbook, neighborhood newsletters, training manuals, and other business communications.  Still, this is on a whole other level. 

Last night I went to my first EVER critique group meeting.  I think it takes "big ones" to be in the company of such talented writers.  So, for that, I'm patting myself on my back... Did you hear my shoulder cracking?  It's humbling and makes me want to run for cover.  The rules of our game was to have positive feedback.  It probably wasn't one of the tougher groups as these writers, especially, were gracious and merciful.  Yet, it still was a nerve wracking experience, at least for me.  

For this session, we were given a sentence in advance that needed to be used as our first sentence.  However, from there, the stories varied widely.  I was in awe with the creativity and all of the different treatments with the same first sentence.  As for me, well, I didn't finish my short story due to some trips my mind was taking me on this past week.  Yet, I did bring my 514 typed written piece, handed it out, and read it out loud.  It was a rewarding experience; first, to walk over another hurdle and add to my psychological armory, and second, I received very valuable feedback.  I'm sure it was heavily laced with mercy, but one really good comment that I received from two members was about a paragraph that had a POV switch.

Although it was scary, I'm going to continue and learn all that I can from my fellow writers.  They have so much to offer.

And, if you have a passion or a dream--be it writing or anything else--go out and, to borrow from Nike tm, just do it! 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - One of My Favorite Books

I wrote this review many months ago on a plane and am just now getting this into digital print. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte rivals Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for my affections, if not surpassing it. I was drawn in by the depth and passion exhibited by the characters. There were moments in Jane Eyre where I was holding my breath and at other points I was sobbing. Jane Eyre made me question my mores and invited me to ask myself, "What would I do if I experienced what Jane Eyre, the protagonist, experienced and who would I be?" After I read this book, I felt full as if I had just dined on an eight-course meal.

The story is told from the heroine's point of view. Jane illustrates the hardships she endured living with her aunt, Mrs. Reed--not a blood relative--who despises her and treats her with less affection than a servant. Mrs. Reed justifies her cruelty by inventing falsehoods about Jane being an insolent and violent child when her own kids are abusing Jane. Although the abuse is rarely physical, Jane certainly is abused emotionally. During this time, Jane's only ally, if you could call her that, is her nurse, Bessie. Mrs. Reed eventually sends Jane to Lowood, a boarding school. This school is essentially an orphanage. Their food is rationed and they have strict studying habits. At Lowood, Jane befriends an older child, Helen. Jane cannot understand how Helen can endure hardships and still be a pillar of strength and be a young girl of honor and grace. Even though the reader only experiences a glimpse of Helen relative to the length of the rest of the story, Helen is still a pivotal person in Jane's life.

A new chapter in Jane's life is soon introduced after a brief glimpse into her life as a teacher at Lowood. Because of her training and experience at Lowood, Jane is able to procure an occupation as a governess for a French child, the ward of an Englishman who may or may not be her father. A mutual attraction and respect is soon developed between Jane and her master, Mr. Rochester.

The relationship between the two becomes the major plot with many agonizing twists and turns that does come to a satisfying conclusion. Through it all, Jane is painted as a woman of substance and strength. She's learned, intuitive, and enigmatic. Yet, she doubts her abilities and, at times, her vision is tunneled by her bouts of weakness. This shows a beautiful dichotomy between the two major layers of her personality.

This work delves into the dark side of human emotion and, likewise, is where Emily and Charlotte Bronte's famous pieces, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, are similar. It also reaches the very pinnacle of passionate love. It challenges what is acceptable to feel even in today's society.

While I love nineteenth century literature because it defines story telling with its originality, I can often get hung up on the language. However, I encourage any reader to wade through the nineteenth century language because of the raw emotion played out on the pages. Jane Eyre has been elevated to my top ten reads of all time. This book helped me to put my life into proper perspective and taught me to have a little more fortitude. And, isn't the reason for reading good literature, in part, to help sculpt a person's worldview?

A Classic Reviewed - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I don’t think one can matriculate without having to have read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte at least one time be it in high school or college. In fact, I believe it was mandatory in my high school to watch the 1939 Hollywood treatment starring Lawrence Olivier in addition to reading the book. Being that I’m on this personal quest to read, and in many cases, re-read the classics, I picked up this torturous novel yet again. I remember it being intense, dark and gut wrenching, but I could not remember why. To be quite honest, I thought it was because of the unrequited passion and love triangle between Heathcliff, Catherine Linton nee Earnshaw, and Edgar Linton. Upon the second or maybe third reading, I realize (at my more advanced age from seventeen years old) that it is because of the savagery visited upon the characters by Heathcliff and, in some cases, every other character in this work of fiction.

In short, Mr. Earnshaw (Catherine’s father) brings home a gypsy waif from the streets of Liverpool to live at their country house, Wuthering Heights, situated amongst the craggy moors of Yorkshire. The master dies leaving Catherine’s brother, Hindley, as heir to the home. Hindley is harsh and cruel to Heathcliff, treating him as a servant. Catherine and Heathcliff form an alliance and deep attachment to each other. However, Catherine does not give into this attachment sensing the low station in life Heathcliff may ultimately settle into. Catherine sets her sights on Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange, across the way, with the hopes of a higher station in life. Catherine marries and Heathcliff runs off to amass wealth the means by which is never fully explained. Heathcliff returns to The Heights and Hindley becomes indebted to Heathcliff mortgaging The Heights to Heathcliff. Heathcliff visits Catherine and, out of spite, seduces her sister-in-law, Isabella Linton, into marrying him. With that, Heathcliff levels all of his anger and hate onto Isabella. Isabella eventually leaves The Heights pregnant with Linton Heathcliff and settles in the south of England. Meanwhile, Catherine gives birth to a daughter, Cathy Linton, and dies the same day. After twelve years, Isabella dies and Edgar goes to get Linton Heathcliff (a frail young man). Heathcliff learns of this and sends for the boy to be brought to The Heights. Cathy forms an attachment for her cousin and is despondent in not having the opportunity to explore her friendship with Linton. Approximately, three years later, Cathy eventually learns her cousin is living at The Heights. Heathcliff forces her to marry Linton to exact revenge on Edgar. Edgar, Heathcliff and Linton die. Cathy eventually marries, Hareton, Hindley’s son and peace settles in the family. The village people rumor to see Heathcliff and Catherine haunting the moors and The Heights.

Wuthering Heights is considered by critics to be a masterpiece and fit for a place of honor amongst the classics. The story is multi-layered and told in several points of view originating from a tenant’s journal entry to a story of gossip from the nurse, Nelly, to the re-telling of events from Isabella’s point of view. There are quotes and phrases that are memorable and the brutality leaves a scar on the reader’s psyche. So, in that respect, the fact that this work can invoke such deep feelings would make it a piece to consider. However, I find the Yorkshire servant colloquialism in some dialogue, especially by Joseph (a servant), to be cumbersome to decipher and the constant shifting of points of view to be distracting. I, for one, am a fan of 19th century English literature; yet find this piece to be disjointed. Will I read it again? Maybe in ten yrs or so.