Lady Bibliophile: What Makes a Good Heroine

[Rebelwife]

Seriously! Jane Eyre is not a soppy romance, far from it! It's one of the first great feminist novels and was utterly shocking to the general public when first published. It is a rage against fake and hypocritical Evangelicalism in Mr. Brocklehurst and St John Rivers. Jane is always seeking independence in a patriarchial society. Her big speech when rejecting Mr. Rochester wanting her to be his mistress has little to do with God. It is a refusal to become Mr. R's disposable "plaything." She also rejects St John because he tries to control and dominate her. I only disagree with you saying that she came crawling back to Rochester -- she voluntarily returns when he is weakened and she is in a position of power, wealth and independence.

I've pondered on Our Lady Bibliophile because I find it hard to believe that anyone could read some of the books she does and write such puerile reviews.

I've come to the conclusion that young Schuyler has come up with a great scam for a SAHD who loves to read. Her "work" and her "ministry" are to read all the books she wants (because she is Godly enough to withstand the sinfulness) and then knowingly make up some crap "acceptable to Fundies" review about how unGodly the books are so that no-one else in her circle reads them! Surely no-one can be as superficial as Our Lady Bibliophile appears.:lol:

Oh, that would make me so happy if that were true!

(It also weirdly reminds me of when I'm eating something really good and tell my kids I don't think they'd like it so I don't have to share. Or am I the only one that does that? :shifty: )

[Othello]

I remember Elsie telling slaves they would be white in heaven.

Yup. And that it's not really *their* fault they're always lazy and rebellious, it's just part of their nature and that everyone of their melatonin level is that way. The books are rife with the most transparent racism and religious bigotry (regarding Catholics, Mormons etc.) you've ever seen. I'd like to extend a big double-middle-finger to Ms. Finley, Ms. Schuyler and all parents who give those pieces of s**t masquerading as books to their kids.

I'm not sure why some people here are speculating that Schuyler would do well in a more academic setting, anyone who thinks Elsie Dinsmore

...I get the sense that she might really thrive in a real academic setting.

I'm sorry, but anyone who calls Elsie Dinsmore "a legitimate heroine" has a loooong way to go before they could be considered academically inclined. If anyone has read those books and can still say that, something is seriously wrong with them. I take offense to this young lady perverting the title of bibliophile, by using it to mean that they've read 99% of Vision Forum's catalog and remarkably little else.

[polecat]

+ 10 000. I love jasper Fforde, I can't wait for the next book after Shades of Grey ** !

I KNOW! I've heard rumors about this year, but who knows.

Also love the Nursery Crime series and am ready for a new one of those.

[Rachel333]

I'm sorry, but anyone who calls Elsie Dinsmore "a legitimate heroine" has a loooong way to go before they could be considered academically inclined. If anyone has read those books and can still say that, something is seriously wrong with them. I take offense to this young lady perverting the title of bibliophile, by using it to mean that they've read 99% of Vision Forum's catalog and remarkably little else.

She's got no chance of doing well right now; you have to be able to read books where characters have different views than your own! I just wonder how different she'd be if she wasn't raised fundie.

[RandomTrivia]

We once had some type of Elsie-Reading-Club on the forums, after the books came up in another thread, so some of us started reading the online books, which are not revised, and really, they are something to get sick about. I remember Elsie telling slaves they would be white in heaven.

What about the Mandie books? I've never read any of them, but I know I priced a dozen or more for the book sale I'm helping with this weekend. I think they were from Bethany House Publishing, which gave me a fundie vibe. How bad are they?

I read one or two Elsies, and recycled them (they were falling apart anyway, but still). Bleah.

[Rachel333]

I KNOW! I've heard rumors about this year, but who knows.

Also love the Nursery Crime series and am ready for a new one of those.

I'll be really happy with any new book from him! I love all his work.

[Arete]

What about the Mandie books? I've never read any of them, but I know I priced a dozen or more for the book sale I'm helping with this weekend. I think they were from Bethany House Publishing, which gave me a fundie vibe. How bad are they?

I read one or two Elsies, and recycled them (they were falling apart anyway, but still). Bleah.

I don't know anything about the Mandie books, but Bethany House Publishing is definitely a fundie outfit that puts out some God aweful "Christian Romance".

[Rachel333]

I read the Mandie books. I don't remember them being too bad, but they were too preachy for my taste even as a fundie-ish pre-teen. She's 1/4 Cherokee (yet has perfect light blonde hair and blue eyes) so a lot of the books have to do with the Native American community. I enjoyed them, but they weren't amazing.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I read the Mandie books. I don't remember them being too bad, but they were too preachy for my taste even as a fundie-ish pre-teen. She's 1/4 Cherokee (yet has perfect light blonde hair and blue eyes) so a lot of the books have to do with the Native American community. I enjoyed them, but they weren't amazing.

I read them as a child and remember being pretty into them. There were at least 30. I still have them but my daughters haven't wanted to read them. I just said them a lot, didn't I? They're pretty darn fundie except the main character does get some sort of education and she's raised by her assertive, powerful grandmother. And she is smart and brave, so I guess she's a good fundie heroine.

[Hane]

Re Elsie Dinsmore (fun fact: my single largest number of posts here were in an Elsie thread): People have been making fun of her since the books came out in the 1800s. Am I alone in thinking, "Hey, if I were in her shitty life with those horrible relatives and Christ-horrendous father, I'd be WORSE than crying all the time--I'd be huddling in a corner in a fetal position too paralyzed to commit suicide!"?

I hate-read my way through FAR too many of the free online Elsie books, hoping against hope for something worthwhile to happen--and it never did.

[Trynn]

I thought Lulu was worthwhile. I kept wanting her to escape. Unfortunately when she does try to run away, instead of being compassionate all her father does is lecture her a kit stealing from him because she is his.

Not, oh my gosh my daughter tried to run away, maybe my first reaction should be to LOVE HER.

Pity they crushed lulu, too. She was presented as bad by she was the only character who behaved remotely like a human being.