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The Nutcracker of Nuremberg by Alexandre Dumas

December 16, 2018 RaeAnna

The Nutcracker of Nuremberg | Fossil Watch (a favorite)

Worth A Read Yes
Length 142
Quick Review The Nutcracker of Nuremberg is not the ballet you’re probably familiar with, but it is just as entrancing.

Alexandre Dumas wrote The Nutcracker of Nuremberg; well, he retold it. E.T.A. Hoffman wrote the original Nutcracker, which is very dark and not necessarily the story you want to tell your children at bedtime. Alexandre Dumas reworked the story into something lighter and happier. It evolved and inspired a ballet that has inspired the imaginations of children and adults alike for generations.

Alexandre Dumas is famous for The Count of Monte Cristo and more. He is an exceptional writer. Even writing for younger audiences, he doesn’t abandon his style or pizazz.

The Nutcracker of Nuremberg has many of the elements we’re familiar with from the ballet, but there are many more storylines not included. It is darker than I expected, but that is in accordance with the times. Children’s stories were not completely happy way back when. If you don’t believe me, just read Grimm’s fairy tales.

The story begins when a father falls asleep. He wakes up to discover his children and their friends have tied him down. They refuse to let him up until he convinces them to with the promise of a story. He begins with a nod to E.T.A. Hoffman before diving into his own telling. The story consists of three parts I. The Story of the Nutcracker of Nuremberg II. The Story of the Nut Krakatuk and the Princess Pirlipate III. The story of Marie and the King of Toys. It’s a fun story to read at this time of year because of its impact on the season.

Some of the more interesting things about The Nutcracker of Nuremberg are the names. They all have meanings, which escape most of us who don’t speak German. Drosselmeier is a much stranger character in the story than the ballet. I love the language he uses. It’s beautifully written. There are so many literary and historical allusions. It makes it a little bit of an adventure trying to find and figure out all of them.

At only 142 pages, it’s a small time commitment to read a story that helped inspire an internationally iconic ballet.

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Title: The Nutcracker of Nuremberg
Author: Alexandre Dumas
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9781435154520

Books, NonFiction

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and Other Lies

October 18, 2018June 8, 2019 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Length 256
Quick Review A collection of women’s stories and experiences with feminist ranging from hopefully to angry. Curated by Scarlett Curtis and in partnership with Girl Up. You can’t not feel empowered reading it.

*Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and Other Lies* by Scarlett Curtis in Austin, Texas.

I knew I would love Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and other lies, an incredible anthology, as I read the first essay by Evanna Lynch – aka Luna Lovegood – talking about cats and period panties and the fear of bleeding on someone’s couch. Honestly, who hasn’t been there? There is a vivid authenticity coursing through the pages with the strongest potency of passionate women.

*Feminists Don’t Wear Pink* by Scarlett Curtis at Grafitti Park in Austin, Texas.

The pink cover is just the beginning of tearing down ill-founded preconceived notions about the hairy, man-hating feminist ogres instilled in our psyches by the patriarchy. Every contributing author has her own feminism just as unique as her. One thing is clear, their feminism is as unboxable as the universe. Some like pink, others like pants, some dream of being mothers, some just want careers. In their own way, they are working towards equality and opportunity for everyone to live their lives to their own drums.

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and other lies contains a multitude of essays with a variety of lengths, narratives, messages, tones, and more. Each woman tells her own bit. Some women are joyous and other are angry while others find humor in what others some describe sorrow. Feminism has as many emotions as people do with just as much complexity. Contributing authors range from the incredibly famous to advocates to the unknown working behind the scenes. Emma Watson, Keira Knightley, Jameela Jamil, Claire Horn, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, and so many other incredible women. Each woman has an incredible voice filled with experience and brilliance. I loved every moment of reading.

With the holidays coming up. I highly suggest stuffing this pink treasure into the stockings of the girls and women you love most, and also the males should read it too. Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and other lies is a really wonderful and inspiring book.

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Memorable Quotes
“Does femininity impede feminism?” Evanna Lynch
“14. My religion mandates sexual satisfaction from my partner. What does yours do?” Amani Al-Khatahtbeh
“We have a lot of work to undo…” Jameela Jamil
“Learning to have sex from porn is like learning how to drive from The Fast and The Furious.” Jameela Jamil
“Women hold up the whole world.” Akilah Hughes

Title: Feminists Don’t Wear Pink and other lies
Author: Scarlett Curtis
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9781984819178

Books

Women Who Run With The Wolves

April 23, 2017 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Length 608
Quick Review This is an incredible psychoanalysis of women and the wild woman through storytelling. It’s an incredibly diverse and rich feminist text.

Clarissa Pinkola Estés is known for a lot of things. She has her PhD and is a well known Jungian analyst with storytelling experience reaching to her cultural roots as a Latina. She combines all expertise into Women Who Run With The Wolves a groundbreaking feminist work, which has remained popular since it was published over twenty years ago in 1992.

Women Who Run With The Wolves is a search for woman’s most inner woman, feelings, and history. Throughout history women have been molded and suppressed. Estés argues it is important to look at women throughout history and story to find their most quintessential essence. She believes it is important for women to be in touch with their inner wild woman, or they will go crazy in their suppressed role.

The book is a collection of fourteen stories from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Estés tells the story as traditionally as possible at the beginning of each chapter. After each recounting, she analyses every aspect of the story through a psychoanalytical and feminist lense. Each story offers an important learning opportunity for women to be in touch with themselves.

There is a reoccurring theme of life-death-life mother across many cultures. In today’s society, we often are confronted with the idea of life and death. Estés reiterates the idea of life-death-life as missing from most accounts of the evolution of life in Euro-centric culture. I think the missing reoccurrence of life is an equivalent to the pieces of ourselves as women we have lost of the years and generations of being molded into cultural ideals.

Women Who Run With The Wolves is not necessarily an easy read, but it is an important.

P.S. There would have been far more quotes, but I would have ended up infringing on copyright laws because I would have quoted the entire book.

Memorable Quotes
“This Self must have freedom to move, to speak, to be angry, and to create.”
“This early training to “be nice” causes women to override their intuitions.”
“So many women themselves are afraid of women’s power.”

Title: Women Who Run With The Wolves
Author: Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D.
Publisher: Rider
Copyright: 1992
ISBN: 9781846041099